Pinion straightening device



Dec. l, 1959 w. wALczAK 2,915,105

PINIoN STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed April 2s, 195e TTORNEVS United StatesvrPatent My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devicesfor straightening pinions, particularly pinions of watches, clocks andthe like, the principal object and essence of my invention being toprovide a device -of the character herewithin described which is adaptedto receive the pinion, to support same perfectly horizontally withrelation to the anvils, and to provide clamping means to clamp thepinion between the anvils thereby straightening same in a planeperpendicular to the pinion pin.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described which includes levelling means both on the pinioncarrying jig and the device thereby enabling the operator to ensure thatthe pinion is held horizontally and that the anvils also are horizontal.

Surmounting the cylindrical main Ybody portion 5 is a plate 9 parallelwith the base plate. 4 and having, in

this embodiment, three anvils 10 extending outwardly therefrom. Theaforementioned cylindrical body portion 5 is apertured centrally as 'at11 and is provided with a sleeve 12 bearably slidable therein, it beingnoticed that the upper end 13 of the sleeve yextends above the plane ofthe upper surface14 of the plate 9.

The head piece 2 consists of a central hub 15 recessed centrally as at16 upon the under surface thereof, lit being noticed that the head pieceis receivable by the recess 16 upon the extending portion 13 of thesleeve so that the' extending portion 13 supports the head piece 2 beingrigidly attached thereto. l

Upper anvils 17 extend outwardly from the central hub 15 of the headpiece and correspond to the aforementioned anvils 10 there being threeof such pairs of anvils in the present embodiment. i

A clamping post 18 surmounted by a knurled knob 19 is freely engageablewithin an aperture` 20 formed in the hub 15 and is rotatable Within thisaperture but is re-A stricted against` `downward movement therein bymeans of fixed washery 21v being` secured :to the post 18 and engagingthe upper surface 22 of the hub 15.

This post 18 extends downwardly through the sleeve 12 and isscrew-threaded at the lower end 23 thereof.

` The base 24 of the cylindical body portion 5 is apertured Yet anotherobject of myinvention is to provide a I device of the characterherewithin described which contains a plurality of anvils adapted toreceive pinions of diierent sizes.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is extremely e'icient in operation,and which furthermore permits an operator to straighten pinions rapidlyand accurately. v

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is simple in construction,economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose forwhich it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects andadvantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates as this speciiication proceeds, my inventionconsists essentially n=the arrangement and construction of parts all ashereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which: `Figure 1 is a side elevation of mydevice.

i vFigure 2 is a side elevation of myl device ta'ken'at right angles toFigure l and sectioned in part.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure '1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the jig and pinion per se.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

Proceeding now to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen uponreference to the accompanying drawings that it consists primarily of abase collectively designated 1, a head piece collectively designated 2,and a jig collectively designated 3.

Specifically, the base 1 consists of a substantially triangular baseplate 4 having a substantially cylindrical body portion 5 extendingupwardly from the centre thereof. Levelling screws 6 screw-threadablyengageable within the corners 7 of the triangular base plate, terminatein surface engaging feet 8 and permit adjustment of the base, thepurpose of which will hereinafter be described.

centrally andv screw-threaded to receive this threaded end 23 as clearlyillustrated in Figure 2.

A spring 25 surrounds the post A18 and reacts between the base ofaperture 11 yand the underside of the recess 16 thus normally ,urgingthe head piece upwardly when the clamping post is unreserved. j lIn'order to preventrotation of the head piece and also yto limit theupward movement thereof and to pre# vent displacement of the head piecefrom the sleeve K12, I provide a Vknurled bo1t26 extendingthrough' plate9 and being free to rotate therein and being screw-thread#l ablyengageable within the head-piece as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 andit will be'appreciated that rotation ofthis bolt 26 controls thespacingbetween the pairs of anvils and prevents4 the Vaforementioneddisplacement.

The aforementionedI jig 3 lconsis'tsfof, anupper stem 27 and a lowerstem 28 between which'is formed an open centered main body portion 29. Apinion carrying pin 30 extends 'downwardly within the portion 29Ifrornthe stern 27 and avfurther pin 31' extends upwardly from the stem28, it being `observed that the pin 31 isy attached to a screw 32screw-threadably engageable within the stem 28. 'Ihese pins are adaptedto hold a pinion 33 therebetween as clearly illustrated, it beingunderstood that the points 34 are adapted to `enter the aperture withinthe pinion normally receiving the pinion pin. Finally,

screwit will be noticed that a conventional bubble level 35 sur vmountsthe stern 21. t vIn operation, 'the pinion to be straightened is heldbetween the pins`of `the jig as illustrated inA Figure" .4 whereupon thejig is slid over a convenient pair of arl'vils which are apertured orslotted as at 36 to receive the pins 30 and 31 so that the pinion 33 issituated between the anvils as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. 'I'hedifferent anvils 10 are provided with slots with which to take pinionsof varying sizes'.

A further conventional bubble level 36 is secured to an extension ofplate 9 thus enabling the operator, via the levelling screws 6, .toensure that the plate 9 is completely horizontal, and also -to ensurethat the pinion 33 being held between the anvils is also horizontal,this latter being checked by the bubble level 35 on the jig.

The clamping post 18 is then rotated so that the head piece 2 is moveddownwardly towards the plate 9 thus causing the pinion to be clampedbetween the anvils 10 and 17, continued pressure causing same to bestraightened and aligned in a plane at 'right angles to perpendicularaxis thereof, the engagement of sleeve 13 within the base of aperture 11ensuring that the surfaces of the. plate 9 and Vthe 'lieadjpieteZyremain parallel.

After theclamping post has been tightened sufliciently to straighten thepinion, same maybe released, spring ZS-u'rfge's the headpiece upwardlyto the limits defined by -the position of the adjusting bolt l26whereupon the jib may be removed and the pinion pivot post replaced.

Since various modileati'ons can be made in my invention as hereinabovedescribed, and Ymany apparently widely different embodiments of sainemade within Ythe spirit and scope of the claims without departing fromsuch spirit and scope, it is intended 'that all matter contained in 'theaccompanying specilcati'on shall be interpreted as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense.

What Iclairn as my invention is:

1. A device for straightening pnions and the like'comprising incombination a base, a fixed anvil on said base, a movable head piecesituated for vertical movement above said base and supported therebY, ananvil plate on said head piece superjacent to said xed anvil, meansassociated with said anvils for supporting a pinion therebetween, andmeans zo-operating between said head piece and said base adapted to movesaid head piece towards and away from said base,'said means forsupporting said pinion between said anvils including said anvils beingslotted at 'the outer ends thereof, and a yjig for supporting saidpinion, said jig comprising an upper stem and a lower stem, anopen-centred main body portion between said stems, pinion carrying pinsextending from 'each of said stems within said open-centred main bodyportions, one of said pins being adjustable lengthwise, said pinsadapted to be received by said slots.

2. The device according to claim l in which said base is aperturedvertically, guide means extending above said base within said aperture,said head piece being recessed and affixed to said guide means.

3. The device' according to claim 2 in which said means 'co-operatingbetween said head piece and said base includes a clamping post freelyrotatable within said head piece, said clamping post extendingdownwardly within 'said aperture within said base, said clamping postbeing screw-threaded Vat the lower end thereof and beingscrew-threadably engageable within `a corresponding screw-threadedaperture at the base of tirst-mentioned aperture.

4. The device according to claim 3 which includes spring meanssurrounding said clamping post and reacting between said base and saidhead piece.

5. The device according to claim l in which said base includes a baseplate, levelling screws on said base plate and a main body portionextending upwardly from said base plate,y a plate surmounting said mainbody portion, and a plurality of anvils formed on said plate, saidmovable `head piece also including Va correspondinggplurality of anvilsformed thereon each one superjacent one of said tiret-mentioned anvilson said plate, and means to l'restrain vertical movement of said headpiece within limits.

6. The device according to claim 1 which includes a levelling indicatoron said jig.

7. The device according to claim 1 which includes a levelling indicatoron said base.

8. 'The device according to claim 6 which includes also a levellingindicator on said base.

9. The device according to claim 2 in which said base includes a baseplate, levelling screws on said base plate and a main body portionextending upwardly from said base plate, a plate surmounting said mainbody portion, and a plurality of anvils formed on said plate, saidmovable head piece also including a corresponding plurality of anvilsformed thereon each one superjacent one of said inst-mentioned anvils onsaid plate, and means to restrain vertical movement of said head piecewithin limits.

l0. The device according to claim 3 in which said base includes a baseplate, levelling screws on said base plate and a "main body portionextending upwardly from said base plate, a plate surm'ounting said mainbody portion, and a plurality of anvils formed on said plate, saidmovablehead piece also including a corresponding plurality of anvilsformed thereon each one superjacent one of said first-mentioned anvilson said plate, and means to restrain vertical movement of said headpiece Within limits.

ll. The device according to claim 2 in which said means for supportingsaid pinion between said anvils includes said anvils being slotted atthe outer ends thereof, and a jig for supporting said pinion, said jigcomprising an upper stem and a lower stem, an open-centred j main bodyportion between said stems, pinion carrying pins extending from each ofsaid stems Within said opencentred main body portions, one or said pinsbeing adjus'table lengthwise, said pins adapted to be received by saidslots.

12. The 'device according to claim 3 in which said means for supportingsaid pinion between said anvils includes said anvils being slotted Vatthe outer ends thereof, and a jig for supporting said pinion, said jigcomprising an upper stern anda lower stem, an open-'centred main bodyportion between `said stems, pinion carrying pins extending from each ofsaid stems said opencentred main lbody portions, one of said pins beingadjustable lengthwise, said pins adapted to be received by said slots.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ne.7,343 Barnes oct. 1o, 1876 149,173 Wheeler Mar. 31, 1874 i 159,115Parker Ian. '26, 1875 499,418 Duff June 13, 1893 631,991 lames et al.Aug. 29, 1899 1,003,132 Buckingham Sept. 12, 1911 1,017,801 Rice Feb.20, 1912 2,261,246 Fried Nov. 4,A 1941

